Improved mowing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JNO. BUTTER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED MOWING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of LettersjPatent No. 20,479, dated June 8,1858.

To atl whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN BUTTER, of .Buffalo, in the county of Erie andState ot' New York, have invented a new and Improved Mowing-Machine; andI do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters ot'ret'erence marked thereon.

The nature of my invention relates, first, to an improvement in theconstruction of the fra-me, so as to give the machine the feature otiiexibility when mowing and adjustability for reaping; second, in theconstruction and arrangement ofa wheel to carry the inner end ot' thefinger-bar, so that the wheel will tread on a line with the finger-barand allow the cutter-bar to vibrate through the wheel; third, in soconstructing the guard-ngers that they may be connected tothefinger-bar, and support the linger-bar clear from the ground, andallw the cutter-bar to work on the under side of the iinger'bar; fourth,in the mode of supporting and adjusting the drivers seat on the axle ofthe driving-wheel; t'th, in the mode of supporting and adjustingtherakers scat; sixth, in the arrangement of the wheel, divider, andspring to be used on the outer end of the finger-bar.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the construction and operation of the same.

Figure I is a perspective. Fig. 1I is a plan of the under side of theguards, cutters, iinger-bar, and carrying-wheels, as arranged together.Fig. III is a section through the plane X Y. Fig. IV is an elevation ofa guard-tinger, showing also a transverse section of the cutter-bar andflngenbar. Fig..V is a transverse section of the carrying-wheel. Fig. VIis an elevation of the same.

A B, Fig. I, represent the main supportingtimbers of the frame. The1inger-bar is attached to these timbers.

O D E are a series of jointed levers, which support the driving-wheeland give flexibility to the machine. O is connected to the timber B byjoint at b. E is connected to the shaft Gr by means of a sleeve. broadcircular plate or brace, F, projects from the journalcap h y andprevents it from swaying. D is connected to O by means of the shaft d2.E

connects with the shaft of the driving-wheel by means of the sleeve 'r1', Fig. Ill. This sleeve turns on the shaft, and the drivingwheel turnson this sleeve. D also connects with the shaft of the driving-wheel andturns thereon, and by means of its large circular rim t2 t2, inconnection with a similar rim, r2 r2, on E, they-forrn a perfect supportfor the driving-wheel and prevent it from swaying.

H H represent bars of spring metal, and which, with the cross-piecesit', make the driv ers seat. These bars are connected to the axlc of thedriving-wheel, one on each side,aud turn thereon by means ot'a sleevefor each bar. Each sleeve has notches cut in the edge thereof, throughwhich a pin, lr, passes, and also through the axle of the driving-wheel.By means of these notches and pins the drivers seat is made adjustable.The weight ofthe driver is thus brought directly onto the driving-wheel, and is equally balanced thereon.

J is the adjustable seat for the raker; K, driving-wheel.

L is the carrying-wheel. This consists of an outside revolving rim, L,and an inside supportingsegment, Z2 I?, Fig. V. The rim L is supportedand revolves upon the segment l2, corresponding bevels being made on therim and segment, as represented at a n, Fig. V. A standard, y, is boltedonto the finger-bar, and supports the segmentand rim. The wheel willhave a vertical movement in this standard, as indicated by the slot s.The segment is made in two parts and riveted together. Fig. VI showsmore distinctly the openings O', through which the cutter-bar vibrates.This wheel is designed to carry the finger-bar and relieve its drag uponthe ground. It is so constructed that it can work on a line with thelinger-bar and allow the cutter-bar to vibrate through it. A similarwheel is connected to the outer end ofthe finger-bar.

N represents thc outside shoe or divider.

O represents a spring and cover for the wheel. This is connected to thepoint ofthe divider, as seen at s t, and to the segment of the wheel, asseen at r t.

M represents an iron linger-bar.

P is the guard-nger. This is cast in two parts. The bottom part hasabroad recess for the reception of the cutter-bar and the escape of allclogging matter, as represented atm, Fig. IV, and an extension backwardfor the purpose ot' connecting to and supporting the linger-bar, asrepresented at m2. The upper part is jointed to the under part, asrepresented at s3. This joint is for the purpose of rendering more easythe tting ofthe guard to the finger-bar. The two parts may be rivetedtogether,instead of the joint, if preferred. The guards have lateralprojections, so that when arranged on the finger-bar they will braceeach other on the bottom, as represented atp p, Fig. II. The finger-barrests upon the guards and does not touch the ground.

g represents steady-pins to hold the cutterbar in place 5 W, sleevetowhichethe springbars H are attached; W2, axle of driving- Wheel; Z,pin which passes through the rims of the levers D and E and holds themrigid When the machine is used for reaping; V, Fig. II, cutter-bar; V2,Figs. III and I, cog-rim of drivingWlieeL j The gearing for driving thecutters is arranged in a common and well-known manner. The arrangementof thejointed levers C D E and the support of the driving-Wheel thereonenables the finger-bar and cutters to conform to the uneven surface ofthe ground Without reference to the tread of the driving-wheel. Thearrangement also enables me to raiseand lower the inger-bar and cutterson avertical line and x them at any height, by means ot' the pin Z, forreaping, the outside Wheel, L, being also adjustable. When the machineis used for reaping a platform is attached.

1. The combination and arrangement ot the jointed levers C D E, for thepurpose of supporting the driving-Wheel and giving flexibility to themachine, substantially a-s herein set forth.

2. rEhe arrangement of the carrying-wheel L near the heel of thecutter-bar, so that the finger-bar will pass through the wheel and theoutterbar or connecting rod also vibrate through the wheel,substantially as herein described.

3. Constructing the guard-lingers so :'that they may be connected to thenger-bar and support it clear from the ground, andV also allow thecutterbar to Work on the under side of the linger-bar, as herein setforth.

4. The sleeve W, when connected With the spring-bars H H, for thepurpose of supporting and, adjusting the drivers seat on the axle of thedriving-wheel, as herein described.

5. The arrangement and support of the rakers seat on the lever C, asherein set forth.

6. Supporting and carrying the outer end of the finger-bar by means ot'the specific arrangement f the divider N, Wheel L, and spring O, asherein described.A

JOHN B UTTER.

Witnesses:

W. EI. FoRBUsH, F. L. BALDWIN.

